The Timberwolves have reached an agreement to trade disgruntled All-Star Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton to the Philadelphia 76ers for Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Jerryd Bayless and a second-round pick, two people familiar with deal told USA TODAY Sports. They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly until the deal is officially announced.

The trade puts an end to the chaos that enveloped the Timberwolves since Butler asked for a trade before the start of training camp. Timberwolves president of basketball operations and coach Tom Thibodeau was reluctant to trade Butler unless he received players who could help the team compete for a playoff spot. He was not interested in future draft picks.

There had been a push within the past two weeks to get Butler to the 76ers, who can use a two-way player such as Butler who can defend, score and provide some three-point shooting, which the Sixers lack with guards Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz in the starting lineup.

The Sixers are off to a decent 8-5 start, but they have just one road victory and are ranked 20th in offensive efficiency. Butler’s presence should improve the offense and give All-Star center Joel Embiid more room to operate offensively.

While the move looks good on paper, how will Butler’s direct approach impact the Sixers and their chemistry? It certainly helps that the team already has veterans in J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson. The loss of Saric, who was off to a slow start, and Covington, who developed into a quality starter as an undrafted free agent, will be a tough at first on the locker room.

Butler will be a free agent after this season, and while he and the Sixers can’t agree to a long-term deal now, the idea is that Butler will re-sign with the team in the offseason. Philadelphia gains Butler's Bird rights and can sign him to a five-year, $190 million deal in July.

As direct as Butler can be, the Sixers can't let him be a distraction. It will help that Philadelphia has a coach, Brett Brown, who is a master at managing team dynamics.

The Sixers were expected to be among the East's best teams this season, and if Butler works out, they should be able to compete with Toronto, Milwaukee and Boston for a conference championship.

Minnesota travels to Philadelphia for a Jan. 15 game, and the Sixers play the Timberwolves on the road March 30. NBA TV will televise both games.

For the Timberwolves – off to a disappointing 4-9 start – the trade was necessary. Butler’s presence had a negative impact on some members of the team — especially All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who has struggled with consistency this season.

Shortly after his trade request, Butler showed up for his first practice and created even more drama by yelling and teammates and staffers, and then went on ESPN's The Jump with Rachel Nichols to air his grievances. Even then, the Timberwolves remained reluctant to trade Butler because they believed he could help them win.

But the poor start to the season, which included Butler sitting out games for health reasons, and a five-game losing streak prompted Minnesota to make the deal.

Covington and Saric will fit in with Minnesota, which needs help for its 28th-ranked defense, and now the Timberwolves can put the Butler distraction behind them.

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